Here Are the Really Big Winners in March Madness

Beer, television and sneakers deliver for investors

Insanity has indeed kicked in as the 68-team NCAA basketball tournament, commonly known as March Madness, gets underway across the country.

More than 140 million people—mostly men between the ages of 25-54—will watch the games on CBS (CBS) and Turner or a pay-to-view channel. Others will download the new app, or tweet to #MarchMadness.

Of course, not much chatter outside the arenas has to do with 3-pointers, zone defenses or the 30-second shot clock. Online you’re more likely to read about the $1 billion Buffett challenge, banned beer sales, Nike (NKE) logos, lost employee production and even vasectomies.

It’s likely that the winners and losers that emerge off the courts may be as much of a surprise to fans as those colleges that reach the Final Four on April 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Here’s a preview of the big winners off the courts and the huge payouts that are involved.